James langstaff and samuel watson



(No Model.)

J. LANGSTAPE & S. WATSON.

BUNG.

No. 875,076. Patented Dec. 20, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES LANGSTAFF AND SAMUEL \VATSON, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY.

BUNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,076, dated December 20, 1887.

Serial No. 236,690. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, J AllIES Lanes'rlinr and SAMUEL WATSON, of Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Bangs; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon.which form part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a front end view of our improved valved bung. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the bung, showing the valve closed from the inside. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing a faucet applied to the bung and the latter opened for the passage of fluid.

Our invention relates to bungs for kegs des gned to contain beer and other gas-charged liquor; and it consists in a novel manner of improving bungs for this purpose, which will be fully understood from the following description and claim, taken in connection with the annexed drawings.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A designates the main body or shell of the bung, cylindrical in cross-section, and having its front outer end thickened on the frustum of a cone, the base of the cone lying against an outstanding circumferential flange, B, at the mouth of the bung, and this conical portion is exteriorly screw-threaded, as shown at a, for securing the bung in proper position in the bung-hole of a barrel, the conical part a. adapting the bung to varying sizes of bung-holes, as is evident, and also serving to bind the bung firmly in position when screwed home.

The interior of bore of shell A at its flanged end is enlarged for a distance corresponding to about one-half the length of the screwthreaded portion a,ithe base of this enlargement forming an annular shoulder, b. In this enlargementis securely seated an annular ring, 0, of wood or other proper yielding material, the bore of which is of less diameter than the bore of shell A, as shown. This ring serves a purpose hereinafter explained.

Near the opposite end of shell A from ring 0, on the interior thereof, is an inwardlystanding flange or collar, D, integral with shell A,and having its opposite sides sloped toward each other, so that the flange is angular in cross-section. These inclined sides form the valve-seats of the valve-stem, hereinafter described. The flange D divides shell A into outer and inner chambers, as shown, which communicate with each other through the opening d in the angular flange D, as shown.

In rear of flange D the shell A is provided with perforations,to permit fluids to pass into the chamber of the shell, into which fluids can also pass at its open end.

E designates the valve-stem, which carries double valves and plays through the opening in flange D, so that it can be shifted laterally to seat either of its valves against the opposite sides of said flange.

c designatesa short rod, of less diameter than the opening (1 and about half the length of shell A. Near the opposite ends of this rod are secured or formed collars f, against which are seated the inwardly-facing valves F F. These valves are preferably made of rubber, or some similar material, so that they will closely seat themselves against flange D when closed, and they are made on frnstums of cones, with their bases outward. These valves are held on rod e by suitable washers and nuts, as shown at G, or by washers and by riveting the end of the rod, as shown at g, or in other suitable manner, preferably, however, by heading or riveting the outer end of the rod to retain its valve in place, and then, after passing the inner end of the rod through opening 0, the other valve is secured on the rod by nuts and washers, as in Fig. 2, so that when both valves are in place the stem E, while it can play freely in shell A, cannot escape therefrom, as either one or the other of its valves will bind its seat against flange D and prevent the withdrawal of the stem.

The operation of the bung is as follows: Being properly secured in the bung-hole, say,of a barrel filled with beer or ale, the pressure of the gas in the beer will in escaping through the bung cause a pressure against valve F and force the valve-stem upward or outward until the inner valve rests in its seat against the flange D. When the escape of the gas is out off, any accumulation of pressure in the barrel only serves to more closely shut the valves. When in this position, the outer valve F lies close to ring 0, owing to the length of rod e. Now, when it is desired to tap the barrel, a faucet, H, is driven or screwed into the mouth of the bung through ring 0, which yields sufficiently to permit its being driven inward, but binds it firmly enough to prevent casual displacement or withdrawal of the same, whether the faucet be plain orscrew-threaded. In the latter case the material of which ring 0 is made will readily permit the faucet to be screwed into the bung, cutting or forming its own threads in the ring without the employment of other means forthat purpose. It will be seen that by the use of ring 0 the bung is adapted for use with varying kinds and sizes of faucets, and therefore much annoyance and expense will be avoided.

The inner end of the faucet as it enters the outer chamber of the bung impinges against the outer valve or end of stem E and forces the same inward, unseating the inner valve and permitting the liquid to pass by this valve through opening d, which is of larger diameter than rod 6, past the outer valve F, and into the faucet H, to be discharged therefrom at pleasure.

WVhen the pressure of gas in the barrel be comes less than or only equal to the atmospheric pressure, as is the case more or less when the beer sours, faucet H being removed,

' the stem E will move inward by atmospheric the escape of noxious gases from the vessel or barrel.

It will be observed by reference to Figs. 2 and 3 that by simply adjusting the nut G we are able to expand the inner elastic cone-valve F, and thus cause it to fit its seat; also, that I employ at the outer part of the bung an internal annular recess of larger bore than the main bore of the hung, in which recess is fitted an elastic tube or ring, 0, which is adapted to afford a liquor and gas tight joint when the tapered portion of the spigot H is driven into the bung.

Having described our invention, we claim- A bung for a beer-keg or other vessel, consisting of a shell, A, having a tapered external screw-thread, a, terminating at one end in an annular flange and at the opposite end in a perforated cylindrical portion, an internal annular double-beveled valve-seat, D,an annular recess, b, provided with a yielding ring, 0, the

two conical valves F F, applied 011 a shoul-' dered stem, and the adjustable compressingnut G on the inner end of said stem, all constructed and adapted to operate substantially in the manner and for the purposes described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES LANGSTAFF. SAMUEL WATSON.

\Vi tnesses:

ROBERT ATHERTON, JOHN CARR. 

